In general, the present invention is related to the treatment, prevention and amelioration of neurological disorders, e.g., Alzheimer's disease, and symptoms thereof.
Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disease and is the most common cause of dementia afflicting 30 million people worldwide. With Alzheimer's disease, parts of the brain essential for cognitive functioning such as memory, reasoning, attention, language, and behavior degenerate to such an extent that it interferes with a person's daily life and activities.
Although the cause of Alzheimer's disease is not fully understood, it is known that damage to the brain begins as many as 10 to 20 years before the symptoms are evident. Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the deposition of “plaques”, aggregates of β-amyloid peptide fragments, on brain cells, interfering with cognitive function. In addition, Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the presence of numerous neurofibrillary “tangles”, consisting of paired helical filaments which abnormally accumulate in the neuronal cytoplasm. Recent studies suggest that providing a drug to reduce, eliminate or prevent β-amyloid peptide formation, deposition and/or accumulation in the brains of patients will provide an effective therapeutic.
Currently there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease. However, drug and non-drug treatments are available that may help with cognitive and behavior symptoms of Alzheimer's. Two types of drugs are currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat cognitive symptoms. The first type is cholinesterase inhibitors that are designed to prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine. These drugs delay worsening symptoms for six to twelve months for about half of the people who take them. The second type of drug works by acting on the glutamatergic system by blocking NMDA glutamate receptors. Memantine is the only currently available drug of this type.
There is a need to develop and identify new compounds or agents as potential therapeutic agents for treating, preventing, or ameliorating Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease.